Slug: bond-the-princess-bond Date: 2010-08-04 Title: Bond. The Princess Bond. layout: post

I have a Personal Theory of James Bond. You may not think that James Bond as a character requires anything so vain as a Personal Theory, but nevetheless, I have one.

In my personal Theory of Bond, there is only one James Bond - Sean Connery (you know it’s true). So what about all the other “Bonds”? William Goldman gave us the answer:

“Well, Roberts had grown so rich, he wanted to retire. So he took me to his cabin and told me his secret. “I am not the Dread Pirate Roberts,” he said. “My name is Ryan. I inherited this ship from the previous Dread Pirate Roberts, just as you will inherit it from me. The man I inherited it from was not the real Dread Pirate Roberts, either. His name was Cummerbund. The real Roberts has been retired fifteen years and living like a king in Patagonia.” Then he explained the name was the important thing for inspiring the necessary fear. You see, no one would surrender to the Dread Pirate Westley.”

With Bond, it’s the same thing - Sean Connery is retired and has been living in Patagonia (or, in my personal fantasy, a remote cabin in Alaska, in bitter exile, until his country once again must call upon him in its hour of greatest need). Thereafter, his replacement came on, assumed the name Bond, and continued the legend. It’s the name, you see, that inspires the necessary fear.